“Is the most amazing woman,” Paul responded, glowing. “I was just about to let Vienna I think her new guy is-”
“Wonderful. He’s just wonderful, isn’t he?” Vesta broke in, her voice light and dreamy.
Paul chuckled, bringing his wife’s body in front of him, kissing her neck. For two people, being shy of affection was a foreign concept to them both.
“Mom, I think you need to slow down on the Merlot,” Adam interjected, coming from around the corner leading to the second floor of the Jordan household.
Vienna squealed, rushing to her brother, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Heya, Squirt. James and I finished grilling your guy.”
“Oh, did you?” asked Vienna, still smiling as her feet touched the carpeted floor.
Adam chuckled, scratching his growing stubble.
“Yeah. He’s got my stamp of approval,” Adam winked.
He looked more like his mother (along with Vienna) than her other brothers, who had more of their father’s features.
Vienna turned and faced her parents. She was looking for one more stamp of approval.
Her father smiled.
“And mine, too.”
James and Jude walked back into the large dining room. Vienna’s heart paused as soon as she saw her guy. He smiled at her, before slapping James on the back, signaling a bro-embrace.
“He’s family, Vi!” James announced, before turning his attention back to his wife Michelle- who sat, talking to her sister-in-law’s.
Laughing, Vienna closed her eyes as Jude placed a kiss on her lips and squeezed both of her hands in his.
“I’m family, V,” Jude said against her lips, kissing her as they both smiled.
Chapter Seven: I’m Here
Jude gently kissed Vienna’s shoulder, sliding out of bed, careful not to wake her. The past several months had meant more to him than all the years he had spent without her in his life. Vienna meant more to him than any other woman he had ever met. Or girl. He had met tons of chicks out in the industry- and even more when he was coming along as a teen. And not one chick he met had touched him, moved his soul in such a way he wanted to do well. Sure, he had fun nights with women. But deep down, he knew what the deal was.
They hadn’t given a damn about him.
But Vienna… his woman… did. And as he made his way down to the basement that along with so many other qualities about Vienna- made his heart warm.
Jude ran a hand through his hair, sitting down at his keyboard. He glanced up at the clock on the wall in front of him. It was nearly four in the morning. He placed his hands on the keys and played.
***
Vienna stretched, her hands gripping the satin, burgundy sheets on Jude’s bed. She opened her eyes, frowning slightly. His side of the bed was empty. Pushing herself up against the pillows, she listened. Closing her eyes, she swore she could hear the most beautiful music. But where on Earth was it coming from?
She made her way out of his bed, grabbing a nearby t-shirt of his. A gray Marvel t-shirt with The Hulk on it. It fell past her thighs. Her feet touched the hardwood floor that lined every room in his entire home.
Vienna let the music lead her. Seeing that the basement door was open- the glow of light coming from the bottom of the stairs- it made her pause. The music was becoming more clear.
Closing the door behind her, Vienna made her way down into Jude’s basement. They had spent so much time down there. Writing music and playing video games when she wasn’t working. Vienna smiled, finding it hard to believe nearly weeks after she met Jude, she had graduated with her degree from Georgia State and was working alongside his as his Chief Financial Officer.
She clearly got her love of numbers from her father.
Her feet stopped moving upon seeing Jude lost in his own world, fingers moving over the keys, occasionally stopping to write a lyric on a pad he had propped up in front of him.
Eventually, he looked up, smiling.
“Did I wake you, beautiful?”
Vienna shook her head.
“You look good in my shirt, Mini-Hulk. Come sit with me.” Jude tapped the empty spot on the bench to the right of him.
She walked toward him, sitting down, leaning over to kiss his cheek. Her lips brushed his, as he turned his face to kiss her
“I wrote you a song.”
“You did?” whispered Vienna, her eyes twinkling.
Jude nodded, chuckling.
“I want to hear it.”
He placed his hands on the keys, opening his mouth. As the opening strains of what sounded like a violin came through, he sang.
You’re a dream.
A dream to me…
One I never want to wake up from.
One I always want to fall asleep to.
You’re a dream.
A dream come true.
When I first met you, I knew that
You were truly something special.
You were something real.
You’ve touched me.
Moved me.
Told me I was special.
Make me feel safe.
God blessed the day you came my way.
You’re a dream.
My dream.
My dream come true.
My one
My only
My joy
My morning come true.
I found you…
I found you.
Jude exhaled before taking his hands off the keys, glancing over toward Vienna. “It’s not finished yet, but it’s a start.”
“A beautiful one,” whispered Vienna, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Jude kissed her hair. She smelled like cotton candy.
“Thank you, Jude.”
“For what, baby? I should thank you. You… are the most amazing in the world.”
“Don’t let you mom hear you say it, though.”
He laughed, before caressing her left cheek. “You know she asked about you the other day.”
“Tell her I said ‘Hey, Mama Christine!’.”
“I love you, V.”
“And I love you, Jude Alexander Dixon.”
He closed his eyes, smiling. “I don’t wanna rush this, V. I don’t wanna fuck this up. It’s everything. You’re everything, Vienna Marie Jordan.”
She smiled, kissing both of his hands- from knuckle to wrists.
“I’m here, Jude. I’m right here, baby.”
“Good. Because I want to keep this goin’, baby. I want somethin’ real with you, V. I’m ready for somethin’ real with you.”
Epilogue
- Vienna-
Well, he held up his end of the promise. Jude and I are happy, so in love, and we’re taking it day by day. I ended up keeping my place, renting it out to Bryn- who grew tired of living with her parents.
Speaking of Bryn, she was more open with her feelings, especially in dating.
Me?
I’m just thankful that I gave Jude a chance that day at the café, almost a year and a half ago.
He’s shown me and continues to show me, each day that love… true love is something amazing.
And that Jude and I together… are amazing, too.
THE END.
About the Author:
Angel Mystique has been writing stories ever since she was eight years old. A passionate writer, she pens stories of drama, with bits and pieces of romance, erotic dramas, and Interracial and Black Love romances. When she’s not typing up her latest WIP, she can be found catching up on shows that she loves. Greenleaf, Scandal, and The Bachelor Franchise (and so many other authors and TV shows) all are attributing factors to why she writes what she writes.
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Her debut novella SLEEP SWEETLY: AN F’D UP FAIRY TALE was released on May 19, 2017.
&
nbsp; After all, her main wish is that you find a little bit of yourself in her stories, while she continues to pen stories that she hopes will touch her reader’s lives.
A Sneak Peak of TRUST ME (Blake and Samantha)
Chapter One
Samantha
I needed to let him go. It was time I did. Past time. The clock that had been ticking on the relationship I once held so close- if I could even call it that- had struck twelve. Or at least it had reached the top of the hour. It was time to say goodbye to my tie to Blake. For good.
Once and for all, I needed to set him free, to be all he wanted and needed to be in life. He needed to be free of me. We needed to be free of each other- once and for all.
It’s not that he was bad for me or; in fact, he was the best person in my life. But, like most girls at nineteen, I was scared. Scared that I had found The One, or that my One was right in front of me. Because truth be told, what young, nineteen-year-old, fresh to the college scene, away from home for the first time, would want to be tied down in a relationship?
I knew I didn’t. I just couldn’t bring myself, to be honest with him. Or maybe, I couldn't be honest… with myself.
I remember it like it was yesterday, the day I met Blake Harper, the guy who had stayed with me for these years; the guy I regretted walking away from each second of every day.
I know I shouldn’t feel guilty, but I do. I feel guilty for walking away from him for missing out on what could have been the greatest decision I would have ever made.
But, it isn’t for me to know. It’s not my job to dig up the past and try to relieve it. They call it the past for a reason, and it will stay there.
It’s my cross to bear, not Blake’s.
And I’ll bear it willingly until it’s crushing the casket where my bones once laid and then turns to dust like all the rest.
The sun hung low in the sky that fateful Friday afternoon. It was around six o'clock, and all anyone could talk about on campus was the big basketball game that was happening. Unlike most college girls, I didn’t care. I didn’t want to be sitting on hard bleachers, listening to screaming girls and guys, watching sweaty boys over six feet tall tossing and bouncing a basketball up and down the court for several hours. Even if our team was the best in the division.
I didn’t want to be bothered that day, but I found myself sitting in the third row, with a small bucket of over buttered popcorn, screaming at the top of my lungs, anyway.
And guess what? I enjoyed myself. I did. And the boys’ basketball team won that night; stomped the other team into the ground. The final score was 100-74. And I smiled as some of the girls I knew all flocked to their guys on the team.
I found myself the lone ranger of the group as the girls and a few of the teammates piled into Nicole Johnson’s brand new sport’s car and sped away to the local burger joint. I was in the mood for a good mint chocolate chip milkshake and a greasy hamburger with extra pickles and American cheese.
So, I indulged, without much conversation. I wasn’t one to start conversations openly, anyway. I just listened to what the girls were saying- and the guys, too.
“Trey was awesome tonight! Did you see that dunk just before the final buzzer went off?” Nicole gushed, flipping her blonde hair over her right shoulder, leaning over to kiss her guy on the cheek.
As light as he was, Trey blushed, before popping a fry into his mouth. His gray eyes twinkled under the light that hung low to the table, encased by a silver dome.
Never failing to be the modest captain he was, Trey Aldridge nodded. “It was nothing’ really. I really should be thanking you guys,” he spoke, his voice low, as he waved his right hand toward his star five.
Tristan Klein, Jarrod Culpeper, Adam Branch, Flynn Davis, and Blake Harper were unstoppable on the court.
I glanced around our large table, noting that Blake’s eyes were glued to his cellphone. Probably texting some groupie. Or someone.
I took another sip from my large glass, then tuned everyone out for the rest of the time we all chowed down.
“Hey…”
His voice filled my eardrums like water filling a well after a drought. Roared into my system like some sound that my body needed to hear; needed to respond to at that moment.
I was standing by the back passenger door of Nicole’s car when I recognized that Blake was speaking to me. Not any of the other girls. Me.
I turned around, making sure my hair was tucked behind my ears. It was windy, and I didn’t want it blowing every which way.
“Are you talking to me?” I asked quietly, glancing around for added effect. Everyone else was in their own little world, with their significant other.
“Yeah,” he laughed, before taking a step closer to me. “Yeah, Bright Eyes, I’m talking to you. I’ve noticed you.”
Oh, boy. Here we go…
“Oh, really?” I licked my lips before taking him in fully.
Even underneath the dark of night, I could see him clearly. He was tall, almost six feet, one inch, with the most captivating, smooth skin. Skin the color of caramel. I wanted to lick the nape of his neck to see if he tasted as good as he looked.
What the hell is wrong with you, Sam? You just started talking to this guy, and already you want to touch him?
“Mmmm. I’ve seen you hanging out at the library. Most of the girls in our Bio-Chem class come to you for help. Hell, I’m pretty sure everyone comes to you for help.”
“Is that why you approached me?” I asked, noting the slant in his eyes around the edges, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Because you need my help?”
“Maybe… I approached you because you need someone to help you, Samantha.”
I gulped, stunned silent. How in the world had he remembered my name? I was always the quiet girl who sat on the front row, never answering more questions than needed.
Then… there was the way he said my name.
Strong. Sure. Like he had been dying to let me hear him say my name for the longest time.
All I could do was consider his alluring, deep brown eyes and smile; because of everything in that moment- every thought I had, everything I had planned to say to him- faded away once I heard him say my name.
And from that day, the rest was history. Brief, short-lived history. Sure, we kicked it after campus from that day on. I think I caved around the four-month mark. Usually, the girls I knew of had long-since started dating someone else. So, I guess I followed suit. We hadn’t exchanged “I love you”, but it was there. I could tell it was there. Every time he held my hand or kissed my forehead or we just spent time together helping each other study or… whatever, I could tell it was there.
For me, too. He wasn’t alone. I was there with him; right there.
And it scared me. Scared the hell out of me, because like I mentioned before, what girl wants to settle down at nineteen unless it just works itself out like that?
Fear gripped me so tightly that day and didn’t let me go until I had practically ripped Blake’s heart out of his chest, slammed it to the ground, and stomped on it for good measure. I still remember the look on his face, the sheer pain in his eyes, when I told him.
“This. We can’t do this anymore. It’s been fun, but I just… I can’t be with you anymore. I feel like I’m suffocating, and I just can’t keep living like this…. Being with you-”
“Just stop, okay? Just stop, all right?” he spat, venom spewing from his lips, spilling onto my soul.
I felt horrible, as I watched the tears roll down his cheeks. Eventually, he turned away from me, walking away as fast as he could.
I had reasoned within myself that it was for the best. That letting him go was for the best.
So, almost a decade later, at twenty-nine years old, why the hell did I feel like I was the one who was suffocating yet again?
“Sammie?” Kylie called for me, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I was tired of walking down memory lane. That was enough for the day.
/> I looked up from the picture in my hands- the last reminder of Blake and I’s failed relationship- finding my little sister standing in the doorway of my bedroom, with a small brown box in her hands.
Thank goodness for her offering to help me clear out all this stuff, because Lord knows, I would have gone crazy and just moved out. But, I didn’t want that; couldn’t bear that. Because of this place… my little loft in the heart of downtown was just amazing.
It was me.
“Yeah, Ky?” I asked, a small smile touching my lips, as I walked over from the mantle above the fireplace in my living room, toward her.
“How are you?” she inquired, her voice etched with concern, and I winced.
I hated when we switched roles. It didn’t happen often, but now, I felt so out of place; like I was the one in need of scolding when she was the one in need of rescuing.
I sighed, closing my eyes and thrusting the frame containing the picture of Blake and me on our last date in her hands. “I’m fine, Ky. I promise.”
“Are you sure?” she smiled at me, wrapping her arms around my waist, before twirling us both around in circles, like she used to do when we were younger.
That was our thing. When either one of us was mad, we would always grab the other and twirl around the room, spinning and holding hands tightly until one or both of us would break out in fits of laughter and the room started spinning a little too much.
“Ooooh! Okay, Ky! I’m good! I’m good!” I laughed, loudly, while the room tilt-a-whirled, and I gripped my head, closing my eyes.
“Promise?!” she giggled before I heard a light thump.
“Yeah, sis. Yeah… I promise.”
“Thank God you’re already dressed. You look nice by the way.”
Kylie was leaning up against the frame of my bedroom doorway, smirking. Her hair wild and carefree, shined underneath the moonlight that fell through the glass windows of my place. Dressed in a simple, white dress with a plunging V-line and matching heels, she looked like she had just come from off the runway. She was usually hours late whenever we would make plans to meet up, lost in her own world when inspiration struck and she needed to paint.
AMAZE ME Page 3
